It happens every year. You fill out your bracket, study the teams, their stats, how they match up, and … you find yourself toppled in your pool by your 10-year-old daughter or a friend who made picks based on which mascot he likes or your mother, who surprisingly knows which teams got underseeded according to KenPom.
No matter how you prepare, there’s a good chance your bracket will get busted. Why do we even try to predict how March Madness will play out?
Advertisement
So let’s surrender. Let’s close out of those spreadsheets, stop looking at pace-of-play stats and give yourself over to the magically random.
It’s time to pick our NCAA bracket based on vibes alone. Trust us – you have as good a chance of winning your pool by following this advice as anybody else’s.
1 / 24
Wisconsin men’s basketball beat Illinois 91-88 in overtime
Illinois guard Andrej Stojakovic (2) guards Wisconsin guard John Blackwell (25) during the second half of their quarterfinal game in the Big Ten tournament Friday, March 13, 2026 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Wisconsin beat Illinois 91-88.
1 / 24
Wisconsin men’s basketball beat Illinois 91-88 in overtime
Illinois guard Andrej Stojakovic (2) guards Wisconsin guard John Blackwell (25) during the second half of their quarterfinal game in the Big Ten tournament Friday, March 13, 2026 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Wisconsin beat Illinois 91-88.
2 / 24
Wisconsin men’s basketball beat Illinois 91-88 in overtime
Wisconsin guard Nick Boyd (2) eyes a bobbled ball by Illinois guard Keaton Wagler (23) during the second half of their quarterfinal game in the Big Ten tournament Friday, March 13, 2026 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Wisconsin beat Illinois 91-88.
3 / 24
Wisconsin basketball’s John Blackwell is a key player again this season
Wisconsin guard John Blackwell (25) reacts after Wisconsin guard Nick Boyd (2) was fouled during the second half of their quarterfinal game in the Big Ten tournament Friday, March 13, 2026 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Wisconsin beat Illinois 91-88.
4 / 24
Nick Boyd has made a big impact with Wisconsin Badgers basketball
Wisconsin guard Nick Boyd (2) reacts after making a three-point basket during the second half of their quarterfinal game in the Big Ten tournament Friday, March 13, 2026 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Wisconsin beat Illinois 91-88.
5 / 24
Wisconsin men’s basketball beat Illinois 91-88 in overtime
Wisconsin guard John Blackwell (25) drives between Illinois forward Jake Davis (15) and forward Ben Humrichous (3) during the second half of their quarterfinal game in the Big Ten tournament Friday, March 13, 2026 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Wisconsin beat Illinois 91-88.
6 / 24
Wisconsin men’s basketball beat Illinois 91-88 in overtime
Wisconsin guard Braeden Carrington (0) turns the corner on Illinois forward Ben Humrichous (3) during the second half of their quarterfinal game in the Big Ten tournament Friday, March 13, 2026 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Wisconsin beat Illinois 91-88.
7 / 24
Wisconsin men’s basketball beat Illinois 91-88 in overtime
Wisconsin guard John Blackwell (25) makes a move on Illinois guard Andrej Stojakovic (2) during the second half of their quarterfinal game in the Big Ten tournament Friday, March 13, 2026 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Wisconsin beat Illinois 91-88.
8 / 24
Wisconsin men’s basketball beat Illinois 91-88 in overtime
Wisconsin guard John Blackwell (25) scores on Illinois center Tomislav Ivisic (13) during the second half of their quarterfinal game in the Big Ten tournament Friday, March 13, 2026 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Wisconsin beat Illinois 91-88.
9 / 24
Wisconsin men’s basketball beat Illinois 91-88 in overtime
Illinois forward David Mirkovic (0) guards Wisconsin forward Austin Rapp (22) during the second half of their quarterfinal game in the Big Ten tournament Friday, March 13, 2026 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Wisconsin beat Illinois 91-88.
10 / 24
Wisconsin men’s basketball beat Illinois 91-88 in overtime
Wisconsin guard John Blackwell (25) fouls Illinois forward Jake Davis (15) during the second half of their quarterfinal game in the Big Ten tournament Friday, March 13, 2026 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Wisconsin beat Illinois 91-88.
11 / 24
Wisconsin men’s basketball beat Illinois 91-88 in overtime
Wisconsin guard Andrew Rohde (7) misses a three-point shot during the second half of their quarterfinal game in the Big Ten tournament Friday, March 13, 2026 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Wisconsin beat Illinois 91-88.
12 / 24
Wisconsin men’s basketball beat Illinois 91-88 in overtime
Wisconsin guard Nick Boyd (2) is fouled by Illinois guard Keaton Wagler (23) during the second half of their quarterfinal game in the Big Ten tournament Friday, March 13, 2026 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Wisconsin beat Illinois 91-88.
13 / 24
Wisconsin men’s basketball beat Illinois 91-88 in overtime
Wisconsin guard Nick Boyd (2) drives past Illinois guard Andrej Stojakovic (2) during overtime of their quarterfinal game in the Big Ten tournament Friday, March 13, 2026 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Wisconsin beat Illinois 91-88.
14 / 24
Wisconsin basketball’s John Blackwell is a key player again this season
Wisconsin guard John Blackwell (25) misses a three-point basket during overtime of their quarterfinal game in the Big Ten tournament Friday, March 13, 2026 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Wisconsin beat Illinois 91-88.
15 / 24
Wisconsin men’s basketball beat Illinois 91-88 in overtime
Wisconsin guard Andrew Rohde (7) thwarts a basket by Illinois guard Andrej Stojakovic (2) during overtime of their quarterfinal game in the Big Ten tournament Friday, March 13, 2026 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Wisconsin beat Illinois 91-88.
16 / 24
Wisconsin men’s basketball beat Illinois 91-88 in overtime
Wisconsin guard Nick Boyd (2) is fouled by Illinois forward David Mirkovic (0) during overtime of their quarterfinal game in the Big Ten tournament Friday, March 13, 2026 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Wisconsin beat Illinois 91-88.
17 / 24
Wisconsin men’s basketball beat Illinois 91-88 in overtime
Wisconsin forward Aleksas Bieliauskas (32) reacts after hitting a three-point basket during the first half of their quarterfinal game against Illinois in the Big Ten tournament Friday, March 13, 2026 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
18 / 24
Wisconsin men’s basketball beat Illinois 91-88 in overtime
Illinois center Zvonimir Ivisic (44) drives past Wisconsin guard Braeden Carrington (0) for a dunk during the first half of their quarterfinal game in the Big Ten tournament Friday, March 13, 2026 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
19 / 24
Wisconsin men’s basketball beat Illinois 91-88 in overtime
Illinois center Zvonimir Ivisic (44) dunks the ball during the first half of their quarterfinal game againsr Wisconsin in the Big Ten tournament Friday, March 13, 2026 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
20 / 24
Wisconsin men’s basketball beat Illinois 91-88 in overtime
Illinois guard Andrej Stojakovic (2) scores as Wisconsin forward Austin Rapp (22) looks on during the first half of their quarterfinal game in the Big Ten tournament Friday, March 13, 2026 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
21 / 24
Wisconsin men’s basketball beat Illinois 91-88 in overtime
Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard argues a call during the first half of their quarterfinal game against Illinois in the Big Ten tournament Friday, March 13, 2026 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
22 / 24
Wisconsin men’s basketball beat Illinois 91-88 in overtime
Illinois guard Keaton Wagler (23) scores on Wisconsin guard Andrew Rohde (7) during the first half of their quarterfinal game in the Big Ten tournament Friday, March 13, 2026 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
23 / 24
Wisconsin basketball’s John Blackwell is a key player again this season
Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard talks with guard John Blackwell (25) during the second half of their quarterfinal game in the Big Ten tournament Friday, March 13, 2026 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Wisconsin beat Illinois 91-88.
24 / 24
Wisconsin men’s basketball beat Illinois 91-88 in overtime
Illinois head coach Brad Underwood is shown during overtime of their quarterfinal game in the Big Ten tournament Friday, March 13, 2026 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Wisconsin beat Illinois 91-88.
East Region
(1) Duke over (16) Siena. Gerry McNamara is back! Gerrycuse! The former Syracuse guard is now head coach of 16th seed Siena going up against his former ACC foes! Err, was Syracuse in the Big East or ACC when McNamara played? Who can remember? Duke wins.
(8) Ohio State over (9) TCU. The Buckeyes beat the Badgers late in the year, so they’re probably good. We’re going with OSU.
(12) Northern Iowa over (5) St. John’s. Rick Pitino’s team won the Big East and still only got a five seed? And they have to play against a team with three Wisconsin starters? The Panthers were the lowest-seeded team (sixth) to win the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. We’re merging team of destiny with high Wisconsin quotient to pick the upset.
(4) Kansas over (13) Cal Baptist. Cal Baptist is the team that got here because their opponent missed an alley-oop dunk just before the buzzer in the conference-tourney final. They also have a Wisconsinite on the roster. Ah, but Kansas star Darryn Peterson is the brother of Badgers outside linebacker Darryl Peterson. I’m afraid that trumps Cal Baptist. We pick Kansas.
(6) Louisville over (11) South Florida. Sure, it’s corporate, but there is no finer arena to say out loud than the KFC Yum! Center, where Louisville plays. We pick the Cardinals.
(3) Michigan State over (14) North Dakota State. The Bison also have a Wisconsinite on the roster, but Tom Izzo is too good at this, so we go with Sparty in a battle of green teams.
(10) UCF over (7) UCLA. Former UWM stars Jamichael Stillwell and Themus Fulks lead UCF, so obviously we’re picking them to stage the modest upset.
(2) UConn over (15) Furman. The Paladins! What a great mascot. Even though we love giant fluffy dogs like the Huskies, we have to give strong consideration to perhaps one of the best mascots in the tournament. And they wear purple, which is also cool. But we don’t want Danny Hurley to get mad at us, so we’re picking UConn.
South Region
Nov 11, 2025; Providence, Rhode Island, USA; Penn Quakers head coach Fran McCaffery reacts to game action during the first half against the Providence Friars at Amica Mutual Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images
(1) Florida over (16) Prairie View A&M or Lehigh. The Gators won last year, so it feels disrespectful to expect them to lose here. Everyone knows top seeds lose to 16s the year before they go to the championship game, not after. We go Gators.
(8) Clemson over (9) Iowa. Brewers announcer Bill Schroeder went to Clemson and baseball is almost here, so we’re going with the Tigers.
(5) Vanderbilt over (12) McNeese. McNeese was the darling of last year’s tourney, and we all know teams never play Cinderella back-to-back years. Except UW-Milwaukee did and probably a few other teams that we’re not thinking about. Vanderbilt also got highly underseeded. Give us Vandy.
(4) Nebraska over (13) Troy. Nebraska fans want their first NCAA Tournament win so bad. They’re 0-8 in the tourney all-time! We need them to stop whining, so they get the win here.
(6) North Carolina over (11) VCU. With their star freshman Caleb Wilson out, UNC is going to need another buzzer-beater from Wisconsinite Seth Trimble to win this game. And so they shall.
(14) Penn over (3) Illinois. We have not picked nearly enough upsets, and Penn is from the Ivy League and also has former Iowa coach Fran McCaffery in charge, both things that entice us to make jokes. Penn pulls it off.
(10) Texas A&M over (7) St. Mary’s. Why did Buzz Williams leave Texas A&M again? He’s not going to like it when his old team wins this game.
(2) Houston over (15) Idaho. The Vandals is also a very cool nickname but Houston is really good. We pick the Cougars.
West Region
The mascot for the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the second half of a first round men’s NCAA Tournament game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Intrust Bank Arena on March 20, 2025 in Wichita, Kan.
(1) Arizona over (16) LIU. Former NBA player Rod Strickland coaches LIU. If he had played for the Milwaukee Bucks at any point, we would have picked the upset, but alas.
(8) Villanova over (9) Utah State. Are we still kind of miffed at Gary Andersen? The former Badgers football coach came to UW from Utah State, then suddenly left for Oregon State, and ended back at Utah State at one point. We pick Villanova.
(5) Wisconsin over (12) High Point. On Wisconsin, obviously.
(13) Hawaii over (4) Arkansas. The Razorbacks just won the SEC, but Hawaii gets to wake up every day in Hawaii. We are calling the upset for the Rainbow Warriors.
(6) BYU over (11) Texas or N.C. State. Will Wade, the N.C. State coach who led McNeese to an upset last year, is going to win an NCAA Tournament game again this year to face BYU, but then AJ Dybantsa is going to happen and BYU will advance.
(3) Gonzaga over (14) Kennesaw State. Dooney Johnson, one of the best high-school basketball players in Wisconsin, is headed to Gonzaga in two years. Johnson’s Milwaukee Juneau team will be playing at the WIAA state tournament at the exact moment when the Zags tip off Thursday night. Serendipity? Probably not, but we’ll pick Gonzaga anyway.
(7) Miami over (10) Missouri. It’s gotten annoying that so many people think Miami doesn’t belong in the tournament even though it’s 31-1. That’s a different Miami, of course – that one is in Ohio, this one is in Florida – but as a show of solidarity for the little guy who deserves more respect, we’re picking the Hurricanes to win this one.
Midwest Region
Mar 12, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Virginia Cavaliers forward Thijs de Ridder (28) shoots as NC State Wolfpack forward Darrion Williams (1) defends in the first half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
(1) Michigan vs. (16) UMBC or Howard. Could UMBC again, as a 16th seed, beat a 1 seed? No.
(9) St. Louis over (8) Georgia. St. Louis has Robbie Avila, who is singlehandedly making rec specs cool again. Throw in Thomas More alumnus Amari McCottry, and we have St. Louis winning by a billion.
(12) Akron over (5) Texas Tech. We will continue to show solidarity for Miami of Ohio by picking its Ohio and MAC brethren to win its first-round game.
(4) Alabama over (13) Hofstra. We are going to make sure the Wisconsinite head coaches meet in the regional final here, so Alabama it is. The Crimson Tide also have two Wisconsinites on the roster, including SEC all-freshman team pick Amari Allen.
(11) Southern Methodist or Miami of Ohio over (6) Tennessee. We were going to maintain our solidarity for Miami of Ohio, but SMU’s best player is named “Boopie” and … we think SMU is going to win and then beat Tennessee. One of those First Four teams always gets through, and this is the one.
(3) Virginia over (14) Wright State. Virginia’s Thijs De Ridder might be the best name in the tournament. Total Bond Villain vibes. No Tony Bennett? No problem, as Virginia rolls on.
(7) Kentucky over (10) Santa Clara. Remember when Wisconsinite Jack Gohlke torched Kentucky in the first round a couple NCAA Tournaments ago? That was fun. Won’t happen here, though.
(2) Iowa State over (15) Tennessee State. Iowa State’s head coach (TJ Otzelberger) and leading scorer (Milan Momcilovic) are both from Wisconsin, just two of the many Wisconsin connections on the Cyclones. We are obviously going with Iowa State.
Round of 32
Michigan State Spartans forward Cameron Ward (3) dunks the ball against the UCLA Bruins during the second half at Jack Breslin Student Events Center in East Lansing, Michigan.
Duke over Ohio State. Now that we picked Miami to lose, we don’t need to pretend to like Ohio anymore. Duke wins.
Kansas over Northern Iowa. There are going to be so many highlights of the Ali Farokhmanesh shot when he beat Kansas in 2010, but alas, we cannot predict history to repeat. Kansas wins.
Michigan State over Louisville. It feels like these teams always meet in the NCAA Tournament, but Google says that’s not really true. We’ll go Michigan State, we guess.
UConn over UCF. Solo Ball is also a very good name. UConn prevails, but barely.
Clemson over Florida. Let’s get nuts and knock out a No. 1 seed with a random power-conference team, following in the footsteps of N.C. State, Miami and South Carolina.
Vanderbilt over Nebraska. The Commodores are out to prove to everyone that they deserved better than a No. 5 seed.
Penn over North Carolina. Ivy League to the Sweet 16!
Houston over Texas A&M. Houston is still really good.
Arizona over Villanova. Brayden Burries is an underrated name, and he’s Arizona’s leading scorer so we’ll go Wildcats.
Wisconsin over Hawaii. On Wisconsin, obviously.
Gonzaga over BYU. Oh man, we actually love this game. Dybantsa vs. Graham Ike. We’ll go Gonzaga in a barn-burner.
Miami over Queens. We already have one irresponsible Sweet 16 in Penn so we can’t put Queens in there, too. Sorry, coach with awesome sweaters.
Michigan over St. Louis. Much like when Milwaukee native Jordan Poole hit that deep three-pointer to lift Michigan in a second-round game, this game comes down to the wire but ultimately goes to Michigan.
Alabama over Akron. Too much Wisconsin representation on Alabama.
Virginia over SMU. Thijs De Ridder gets the best of Boopie Miller.
Iowa State over Kentucky. Too much Wisconsin representation on Iowa State.
Houston Cougars guard Emanuel Sharp (21) rebounds during the second half against the BYU Cougars at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri.
Sweet 16
Duke over Kansas. This is probably the stage of the tournament where Darryn Peterson leaves a game, so Duke wins.
UConn over Michigan State. We are still concerned about Danny Hurley getting mad at us, so it’s UConn. Ugh how did we end up with 1 vs. 2?
Vanderbilt over Clemson. Clemson shoots poorly – it’s a Brick House – and the Commodores prevail.
Houston over Penn. Houston is really good.
Wisconsin over Arizona. Wisconsin owns Arizona in the NCAA Tournament, and so it shall be again.
Gonzaga over Miami. What if this is the year Gonzaga actually wins it all? It’s at least going to the Elite Eight.
Alabama over Michigan. Michigan is probably the better team but we’re sticking to our Wisconsin beliefs and picking Bama.
Iowa State over Virginia. So we’re obviously picking Iowa State to win, too. Milan Momcilovic with a game-winning basket.
Elite Eight
Mar 7, 2026; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard John Blackwell (25) points and laughs at fans after beating the Purdue Boilermakers at Mackey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images
Duke over UConn. Carlos Boozer follows in Kon Knueppel’s footsteps and leads Duke to the Final Four as a freshman. And Cooper Flagg’s footsteps, too, we guess.
Houston over Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt just doesn’t feel like a program that can make the Final Four. Sorry, guys, but Houston is really good.
Gonzaga over Wisconsin. Never let your bracket and heart work together. Hedge your emotional bets. Just because we make picks on vibes doesn’t mean we’re homers.
Iowa State over Alabama. With Wisconsin out, it’s Iowa State that carries the Badger State torch to Indianapolis.
Final Four/championship
Mar 11, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones coach TJ Otzelberger watches game play during the first half against the Arizona State Sun Devils at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images
Houston over Duke. Just like last year in the national semifinal, Houston beats Duke. We get lots of discussion of whether Knueppel or Flagg will win Rookie of the Year. It’s Knueppel, obviously.
Iowa State over Gonzaga. OK, maybe we are homers, and we’re picking the team full of Wisconsinites to make the national-title game. Besides, we were so busy being afraid of Danny Hurley that we didn’t consider how grave an error it would be to make TJ Otzelberger angry.
Iowa State over Houston. Pewaukee’s Milan Momcilovic, Jamarion Batemon from the Milwaukee Academy of Science, Anthony Rise of Brookfield Central and Xzavion Mitchell of Oshkosh North, plus head coach TJ Otzelberger of Thomas More and assistant JR Blount from Whitefish Bay Dominican are national champs. Congrats, guys.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: I made NCAA Tournament predictions for entire bracket on vibes alone